Methods and systems for GPS-enabled baggage tags

ABSTRACT

An electronic baggage tag is self-reliant and self-regulating and provides the underlying foundation for a baggage tracking and management system, the center of which operates one or more tag service provider servers. The tag is attached to a baggage and is loaded with various data, including passenger itinerary, GPS data, and journey profile data. The tag has sensors, such for detecting different vibrations, electro-magnetic sensor, GPS, and others. As the baggage to which the tag is attached goes on its journey, the sensors detect stimuli and ascertain where in the journey the baggage is and use itinerary and other data to determine where the baggage should be. The tag service provider server communicates with the tag at various stages in the journey, providing up-to-date itinerary data to the tag. The tag automatically shuts off to be compliant with government regulations for devices in flight.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/747,174, filed Jan. 22, 2013, which claims the benefit under 35U.S.C. Section 119 of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.61/632,250, titled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR GPS-ENABLED BAGGAGE TAGS,”filed Jan. 21, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to software and hardware forself-regulating, electronic tags that can be attached to an item formanaging and tracking the item while in transit. More specifically, itrelates to software for implementing the self-regulating tag fortracking and managing passenger luggage on a commercial airline wherethe tag operates in compliance with FAA, FCC, TSA, and other agencyregulations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Presently, the commercial airline industry uses paper baggage tags buthas plans to implement electronic baggage tags. Generally, these aretags that are attached to passenger check-in baggage (or cargo) and areused in place of conventional adhesive, paper tags containing barcodes,airport codes, and other information that are attached to passengerbaggage by an airline agent at check-in. These conventional tags arethen cut or torn off by the passenger at the end of the journey.

As is known in the art, barcode technology is the world's dominanttrack-and-trace technology. Although relatively inexpensive to print andtrack, barcodes require direct line-of-sight and undamaged tags in orderto be scanned. According to experts in the airline industry, barcodescanners fail to accurately read 15% to 30% of barcoded baggage tags.

As a result of the drawbacks of reading barcodes in the airlineindustry, some airlines have started using baggage tags embedded withRFID chips. Some airports have installed an RFID system throughout theairport or select terminals. This technology provides a higherprobability of reading baggage tags automatically and more accuratelythan paper barcode tags, but RFID tags are not more physically robustthan barcode tags and both are subject to being unreadable due to damagefrom baggage handling and wear and tear from being in transit.

As noted, barcode-readers require line-of-sight visual scanning of thebarcode. RFID technology requires 10 to 15-foot proximity for RFIDequipment to read data embedded on RFID chipsets. It would be preferableto have a technology that uses technology that enables airlines andpassengers to track their baggage essentially anytime and anywherethroughout the world, without the need for additional infrastructure andthat is in compliance with government regulations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention include an electronic baggage tagthat is self-reliant and self-regulating that provides the underlyingfoundation for a baggage tracking and management system, the center ofwhich operates one or more tag service provider servers. The tag isattached to a baggage or other item in transit, such as cargo, and isloaded with various data, including, but not limited to a passengeritinerary, GPS data, and, in some embodiments, journey profile data. Thetag also has various sensors, such as sensors for detecting differenttypes of vibrations, electro-magnetic sensor, compass, light sensor, GPSchipset and antenna, and others. As the baggage to which the tag isattached goes on its journey, the sensors detect stimuli and ascertainwhere in the journey the baggage is and use itinerary and other data todetermine where the baggage should be. The tag service provider servercommunicates with the tag at various stages in the journey, one of itsprimary functions being providing up-to-date itinerary data to the tag.

One of the important self-regulating features of the tag is its abilityto turn off power and be compliant with government regulations beforebeing conveyed on an aircraft, such as disabling GPS and cellularcommunications. It does this without having to receive instructions orotherwise communicate with the server or any other external component.The tag is then able to turn back on when the flight is over and GPS andcellular communications are allowed, again without communication with aserver. Another feature is the tag's ability to determine when there isa discrepancy between where the tag actually is (which it can determineusing its sensors and time) and where it should be based on itsitinerary, which is updated by the server. Notice of this discrepancymay be indicated on the tag itself and be transmitted as alerts toairline personnel and the passenger. In this manner, the tag functionsas the basis for an electronic baggage tracking and management system.The tag itself contains all the intelligence needed to be self-reliantand self-regulating. Through communication with the server, the tag canalso benefit from historical and learned data from previous journeys,further adding to its intelligence over time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention and the advantages thereof may best be understood byreference to the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an illustration showing various stages that a bag goes throughbefore being loaded onto a plane in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a tag in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 3 is block diagram showing relevant data and software modules on atag service provider server in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of operations and functions performed by aself-regulating electronic baggage tag in accordance with oneembodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of showing steps taken and factors taken intoconsideration by a tag so that it knows when to go into sleep mode or,more specifically, government regulation-compliant mode in accordancewith one embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of processes taken by a tag of determining adiscrepancy in its journey in accordance with one embodiment;

FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C shows sample vibration profiles;

FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C are various perspective illustrations of a baggagetag rubber strap in accordance with one embodiment; and

FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams of a computing device suitable forimplementing embodiments of the present invention.

In the drawings, like reference numerals are sometimes used to designatelike structural elements. It should also be appreciated that thedepictions in the figures are diagrammatic and not to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One of the important aspects of the present invention is the ability ofthe baggage tag to comply with FAA, FCC, and TSA regulations whileconcurrently being able to monitor and manage its own operations(self-regulate) without having to rely on external components or serversfor instructions, power, directions, etc. As described below, althoughthe baggage tag of the present invention does communicate with anexternal component, such as a server operated by a tag system serviceprovider, such as Connxys Technology, Inc. of Santa Barbara, Calif.,this communication is not critical to the tag's operation. Thiscommunication is primarily for the tag to obtain itinerary updates andfor the server to send specific learned and/or historical informationabout the journey that the tag is to undertake. This is data that theserver has learned from other tags that have gone on the same andsimilar journeys.

Another important aspect of the present invention, closely related tocomplying with government regulations, is the tag's ability to knowwhere it is (self-track) by using a combination of sensing devices togather data about its location and the itinerary for the baggage, areal-time clock, and external resources, including databases describedbelow. This combination enables the tag to compare its actual positionwith its expected or predicted position. This allows the tag toessentially self-regulate, including making the critical determinationto disable certain functions (go into “sleep” mode) at the right timeand re-engage those functions (“wake up”), all without communicationwith external components. As will be seen from the description below, apersistent theme or feature of the tag of the present invention is thatthe tag itself contains all the necessary intelligence to self-regulate.

The purpose of FIG. 1 is to provide an overview of various stages that abaggage 102 goes through before being loaded onto a plane. It shows oneexample of a path 104 (solid arrow) that tag 106 may take from check-incounter 108 to being loaded onto a plane 110. There are stages thatoccur after baggage 102 is loaded onto plane 110, when it is unloadedfrom plane 110, when it continues on another leg of a journey, or ispicked up by the passenger which are not shown in FIG. 1.

Tag 106 is attached to baggage 102. The tag 106 is activated or poweredon. An airline agent 112 scans the bar code on the tag 106 to obtain thetag serial number. This serial number is associated with passenger dataand itinerary that the agent 112 has displayed or active on the airlinecomputer at counter 108. The passenger itinerary data is downloaded tothe tag 106 upon the agent entering the appropriate commands at thecounter terminal either wirelessly or through a wired connection withthe tag 106. Concurrently, passenger data and passenger itinerary dataare uploaded to a tag service provider server. This server (not shown inFIG. 1) now has a temporary record containing passenger data andpassenger itinerary data. In one embodiment, as noted, passengeritinerary data is downloaded onto the tag 106. As described below, othernon-passenger data are also downloaded onto tag 106, for example, datathat relates to the itinerary (also referred to as “journey”) such asjourney profiles, vibration profiles, GPS locations of airports andspecific gates, ramps, counters, and the like within airports from theservice provider server. As described below, vibration profiles may bedescribed as phrases strung or stitched together to make a sentence thatthe tag can understand and read to determine where it is in the journey.

The baggage 102 is placed on a conveyor belt 114 by the airline agent.In other scenarios, the baggage may be carried by the passenger to aholding area where an airline or government agent who then handles thebag. In either case, the bag 102 travels on a conveyor belt 114 where itsenses a certain type of vibration using one or more of its sensors. Atone point it enters an x-ray unit 116 where the tag 106 senses otherstimuli, such as electro-magnetic signals, darkness, a somewhatdifferent vibration, and the like. In another embodiment, the tag may gothrough an x-ray unit 116 earlier, before being placed on a conveyorbelt 114.

After the x-ray unit 116, the baggage 102 continues on a conveyor belt114 and reaches a holding area 118. A baggage handler may pick up thebaggage 102 and place it in holding area 118 where it may be motionlessfor a certain time. Again, sensors in the tag 106 detect abrupt movement(e.g., being lifted, put down, dropped, etc.) and lack of motion(stillness), and other stimuli, such as change in light, temperature,lack of vibration, as well as the current time, time elapsed since thetag 106 was powered on, and the like. In another scenario, the bag 102may be picked up off the conveyor belt 114 and immediately placed on abaggage cart 120. Sensors in the tag are able to detect this sequence ofactivities and motions.

Once on a baggage cart 120, the baggage 102 is presumably outside forthe first time since the tag was attached to it. At this stage the tagmay detect a different type of vibration from being driven in cart 120,a change in light, temperature, time indicators, etc. The tag 106 is nowin a location (i.e., open sky above) where it can obtain an accurate GPSreading. The baggage cart 120 takes the baggage towards plane 110 andstops at the appropriate location. At this stage, the baggage 102 isabout to be loaded onto plane 110. The tag 106 may get a GPS reading andtransmit this to the tag service provider server. It should be notedthat the tag may communicate with the server a number of times beforethis point as well, or possibly not have communication at all. Inaddition to transmitting GPS data, the tag 106 may also receive anyupdates to the itinerary from the service provider server, such asflight delays, cancellations, gate changes, and the like. As describedin greater detail below, if there is a discrepancy, a light or otherindicator on the tag may flash or make a sound. The tag may get suchupdates at any time in its journey starting, in one embodiment, from thecheck-in counter 108. How a discrepancy is determined is an importantaspect of the present invention and is described below. A baggagehandler 122 picks up the bag 102 from the cart 120 and places it on atram 124 that leads to the plane baggage storage area 126. Again, theabrupt movements experienced by the tag from being placed on tram 124,the vibrations from tram 124, changes in light, detection of certaintypes of signals from being close to the plane, and so on are alldetected by the tag 106.

One critical function performed by tag 106 while it is either waiting tobe placed on tram 124 (i.e., it is in proximity to plane 110), on tram124, or soon after it is on plane 110 is transitioning to sleep mode.More specifically, it transitions to a mode that is compliant withgovernment agency regulations, such as regulations promulgated by theFAA, TSA, and others. Generally, this means that the tag cannot performany cellular or GPS-related activity and must be considered turned offas the term is generally interpreted. As described below, in oneembodiment, it may still have power and the sensors may still befunctioning, so it is able to detect vibrations, sounds, RF signals,light, movements, and so on. Certain stimuli from these sensors are usedby the tag to transition back to its normal operating state when thebaggage 102 is being unloaded from plane 110.

The operation of transitioning into regulation-compliant mode duringconveyance on the plane is one component of the self-regulating aspectof the tag. It is also important to note that tag 106, throughout stagesin its journey, communicates with the tag service provider server atvarious times, such as at validation points and inflection points, butis not reliant on the server to operate and self-regulate, and does notcommunicate with the server while aboard the aircraft. It uses theserver primarily to get updates on the itinerary as well as for otherfunctions. It may do this four, 10, or 30 times during a journey. Thenumber of times it communicates with the server is not arbitrary butneither is it set or pre-determined to be a certain number for alljourneys. A validation point may be described as a key point in ajourney where the tag service provider expects the tag to be at acertain time in the journey and the tag confirms that it is, in fact, atthis point or location. For example, the x-ray machine or the loadingpier in the baggage handling area may be typical validation points.Another may be on the baggage cart while waiting to be loaded onto theplane. An inflection point may be described as another important pointin the journey, such as at the check-in counter where the journey startsor off loading at the destination ramp. A stage in a journey may bedescribed in different ways. One is the period or portion of a journeybetween inflection points.

As noted, the tag remains in deep sleep mode while on the plane andcontinues on its (i.e., the baggage's) journey, which may include moreflights or termination indicated by a passenger picking up the bag offthe baggage carousel. In either scenario, the tag detects stimuli in thesame manner as described above, communicates with the tag serviceprovider server as needed, and reports/indicates discrepancies when theyoccur.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a tag 202 in accordance with oneembodiment. Tag 202 has numerous standard or conventional hardwarecomponents, a few of which are shown in FIG. 2. They include amicrocontroller 204 (with RAM), a network interface 206, SIM card,embedded antenna, GPS chipset or module and antenna 208, various LEDindicators, PB switch, a bus, mini USB port, photo cell, battery,cellular communication components, antenna, and others. Of course, tag202 also has various sensors 210. A tag may have some of the sensorsshown, all of them, or additional sensors. The sensors are conventionaland known to persons skilled in the art. These include sensors fordetecting a range of vibrations and vibration types, sensors fordetecting movement (e.g., continuous, abrupt, rolling, stillness, etc.),a 3D compass, a light sensor, a GPS sensor, altimeter, thermometer,accelerometer, magnetometer, and others. Different versions or models oftag 202 may have different groups or suites of sensors 210. For example,if tag 202 is nearly always expected to take one of four or five knownjourneys and none of them require detecting certain stimuli, such aslight or temperature, the tag need not include those sensors. Tag 202may use as many sensors as possible to understand a particular journey.It may use fewer sensors, but generally the more information it canobtain about the journey, the better it will be at making its owndecisions.

Tag 202 stores several data items in memory, examples of which are shownin tag memory 212. All tags have a serial number 214 and may also storeother data identifying itself. As noted above, when the tag is turnedon, a passenger itinerary 216 is downloaded or transmitted and stored onthe tag 202. A standard or conventional format may be used to storepassenger itinerary data 216. What data comprises a typical itinerary isdetermined by airline industry standards. In another embodiment, apassenger record, containing general information on the passenger, mayalso be stored on the tag.

Another category of stored data is GPS location data 218. This mayinclude the GPS positions of various spots within airports that are partof the passenger itinerary. These may include gates, ramps, holdingareas, check-in counters, and any other locations that are relevant tothe itinerary and that can be supplied by the tag service provider. Forexample, the GPS position data for every gate location of each airlineat every airport. The GPS position of the passenger starting point mayalso be included. In most cases this will be the airline check-incounter.

One important aspect of the present invention is determining when thereis a discrepancy between where the baggage should be at a certain time(its expected location) and where the baggage actually is at that time.One critical component in determining whether there is a discrepancy isthe journey profile 220 which is comprised of, in one embodiment,distinct vibration profiles. The order of abrupt and continuous movementand stillness (i.e., no vibration) and the time between each of thesecomprises a journey profile. Given a specific itinerary, there is anexpected sequence of vibrations. This sequence of vibrations make up oneor more vibration profiles.

Examples of vibration profiles are provided in FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C. Thegraph in FIG. 7A shows a sample vibration profile from the baggage withthe tag traveling on a conveyor belt. The graph in FIG. 7B shows asample vibration profile from rolling the baggage with the tag onwheels. The graph in FIG. 7C shows a sample vibration profile fromcarrying the baggage.

These journey and vibration profiles are downloaded to the tag whenpowered on or during the journey and may be updated by the server asneeded. The profile of a journey also includes the detection of light,temperature, and unique location identifiers transmitted by short-rangeRF signals, GPS locations and others that detect specific way pointsalong a frequently traveled journey. Other types of data may includemaps 222, times, x-ray, continuous movement, abrupt movement, stillness,temperature, detection of homing device (wireless), detection ofcellular stations, detection within a perimeter of a GPS way point, andreception of a unique location identifier transmitted by a short rangeRF transmitter. Also included may be RF location identifier listeners224, which can also be described as “beacon listeners.”

It is important to note that the tag is provided with intelligence aboutthe journey so that it can be self-reliant and self-aware. As describedbelow, the tag service provider may learn about journeys over time andcollect historical data on journeys that it can download to tags to makethe tags more intelligent as the body of journey data grows, wherehistorical journey data takes on the role of “learning data” asdescribed below.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing relevant data and software modules ona tag service provider server in accordance with one embodiment. It alsoshows external sources of information from which the service providermay obtain data in order to implement and improve upon the baggagetracking and management system of the present invention. Conventionalhardware components of a computing device are not shown (these items aredescribed in FIGS. 7A and 7B). Tag service provider server 300 storesvarious types of data. Those relating to passengers include passengerrecords 304 which, in one embodiment, are temporary and are created whena tag is powered on and associated with a passenger, most typically atcheck-in time. A typical passenger record includes name, address, phonenumber, e-mail address, loyalty program identifier, and the like. Once ajourney is completed and the tag is powered off, the temporary recordfor a passenger may be deleted from server 300 or it may be archived andretrieved for future use (e.g., frequent flyer passenger records may bekept).

Associated with a passenger record are passenger itineraries 306. Thesemay also be temporary and are deleted when a tag has finished a journey.A sample itinerary table may include an itinerary ID, a user orpassenger ID, an airline reservation number (assigned by the airline),reservation type, departure data and time, arrival date and time, numberof stops, and so on. There may also be another itinerary table that isspecific to flights. This table may have numerous types of data relatedto specific flights: flight ID, itinerary ID, airline ID, flight class,departure location (airport ID), departure date and time, flight number,arrival location (airport ID), arrival data and time, flight status, andthe like.

Software modules that utilize records 304 and itineraries 306 areitinerary update module 316 and airline/passenger alert module 314.Update module 316 represents logic for obtaining updates to flights,such as delays, gate changes, cancellations, and so on from airlineservers or third-party servers. It then makes the appropriate changes topassenger itineraries as needed. In this manner, any time a tagcommunicates with server 300, it will receive any updates to theitinerary. Alert module 314 represents logic for alerting a passenger orairline personnel of any discrepancies in the location of a tag, thatis, if a tag (and by extension, baggage) is not where it is expected tobe. For example, if a tag determines that there is a discrepancy, inaddition to engaging its own distress indicators (e.g. LEDs), it mayalso communicate with server 300, if possible, and inform the serverthat it should send an alert, such as an e-mail or SMS message to thepassenger and/or airline. Module 314 is responsible for distress signalsand discrepancy messages. Contact information for the passenger may beobtained from passenger records 304. In other embodiments or inscaled-down versions of server 300, alert module 314 may not be present.

Airport data 308 contains GPS position data of specific spots withinairports and various other airport-related data. For example, thesespots may be gates, ramps, and check-in counters for multiple airlinesat multiple airports, baggage carousels, baggage holding areas, and/orlatitude and longitude data of the following: baggage check-in, planes,carousel, holding area, and others. This data may grow over time as tagservice provider collects data on airports. Airport data 308 is used bya tag position data processing module 310. This module receives as inputthe GPS position of the tag and processes this data. In one embodiment,the data is stored with or compared to airport data 308. Tag serviceprovider server also makes decisions with the data or the lack of data.The server reports discrepancies and stores data it has learned aboutthe journey for future use. That is, the data may be used by subsequenttags that take the same journey (i.e., have the same itinerary).

Other data stored in server 300 include tag serial numbers, softwareupdates, and the like. In one embodiment, vibration profiles of knownjourneys may also be stored. The number of these distinct vibrationprofiles will grow over time. The vibration profiles and the GPS datafrom a tag can be used by server 300 to determine whether the baggage isat an expected location. This discrepancy analysis may be done on thetag itself, as described in the embodiment above, or in an alternativeembodiment, may be done on server 300 or on both server 300 and the tag.

Another category of data on server 300 may include future learning data,also referred to as historical data 312. This is data that the systemhas already seen or, in other words, data that represents what a tag hasalready experienced on a particular journey. This may include vibrationprofiles, wait times, sleep mode duration times, and other data thatcharacterize a journey taken by a tag. A learning algorithm 314 acceptsas input future learning data 312 and creates distinct vibrationprofiles, journey profiles, and other information that can be used tomake the server and the tags more intelligent and, with respect to thetags, more self-reliant given that these profiles and information canall be pushed to the tags. For example, once a tag is loaded with anitinerary and the server receives the same, profiles that are relevantto that itinerary that have been developed from past experiences ofother tags can be sent to the tag at the same time. Over time, thismakes the tag better able to self-regulate, detect discrepancies moreaccurately, and operate in increasingly hostile environments (airportsare already hostile environments and conditions for cellular, GPS, andother forms of communication are likely to grow more challenging).

In another embodiment, neural network algorithms may be used, such assupport vector machines. These are able to take a combination of sensordata and more accurately determine the actions that are taking place andmore accurately determine the tag's location.

All the data on server 300 may be supplemented by data from externalsources. Tag service provider may arrange for communication with as manyexternal servers as needed. The most prevalent external source may beairline servers 324 from which the service provider can access orreceive airline updates on flights. Another source may be governmentagency servers 326, such as publicly-accessible FAA, TSA, and otheragency servers which may also provide a wide range of data on flights,airports, airlines, and the like. Finally, any other third-party servers322 operated by entities in the airline industry that provide data thatmay be useful to the tag service provider. These may include third-partyservers that keep track of the location of planes throughout the worldand expected arrival and departure flights. They may also keep track ofgate numbers, etc. In other embodiment, the tag may be more independentand third party services may be contacted directly by the tag and becomeless reliant on the tag service provider server and other back-endservers.

Data from these external sources can be used to supplement any of thedata stores described above or may be used to create new categories ortypes of data. In most cases, it is likely that the externally-sourceddata will be used to learn real-time data on flight changes, delays,cancellations, gate changes, and other such data that directly affectpassenger itineraries and, by extension, the intelligence needed by atag to accurately determine a discrepancy. Another likely use of thisdata is to update or add to airport data, for example, the GPS locationsof a particular airline's gates, ramps, check-in counters, and the like.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of operations and functions performed by aself-regulating electronic baggage tag in accordance with one embodimentof the present invention. It illustrates one scenario out of many that atag may experience. In this scenario the tag does not encounter anydiscrepancies and the itinerary is a one-leg trip. Showing logic fordetecting a discrepancy is described below. The sample, illustrativesteps shown in FIG. 4 are from the perspective of the tag. The tag maybe obtained and attached to a baggage in a number of ways. The passengermay buy the tag so that it is her personal property and attaches it tothe baggage at home or at the airport check-in counter. The passengermay obtain the tag from a kiosk at the airport where the tag is theproperty of the airline and the passenger is using it temporarily forher journey. The most likely way a passenger obtains a tag is by anairline agent at a check-in counter. Instead of an agent attaching apaper baggage tag to the baggage being checked in, as has beenconventional practice for decades, the agent attaches an electronicbaggage tag to each baggage being checked in. In each case, the tag hasa unique serial number.

Regardless of how the tag is attached to the baggage or who does so, theprocess in FIG. 4 starts with the tag being powered on at step 402. Thetag bar code is scanned by an agent at the check-in counter to obtainthe tag's serial number. Presumably, the passenger's information anditinerary are on the agent's terminal. Software on the agent's computerlinks the tag serial number with the passenger's information anditinerary. The passenger itinerary is downloaded onto the tag, eithervia a wireless or wired connection at the counter. As described above,at the same time, the itinerary and passenger information are uploadedor transmitted and stored at the tag service provider server. The servertransmits one or more journey and/or vibration profiles relevant to theitinerary to the tag. It may also transmit GPS locations relevant to thejourney/itinerary. At the same time, the tag takes a GPS reading of itsinitial or starting position (i.e., the specific airline check-incounter at a specific airport) and transmits this data to the tagservice provider server. In all these operations, the current time isalso recorded on both the server and the tag. The operations areperformed essentially after the tag is powered on, the bar code isscanned, and the tag is linked to the passenger itinerary. Once thislinking is done, the starting point and current time are recorded.

Once check-in is completed, the tag is powered on, loaded with specificdata, and attached to the baggage, the airline agent typically placesthe baggage on a conveyor belt behind the counter. In another scenario,the passenger may take the baggage to a check point where a TSA officialplaces it in an x-ray unit. At step 404 the baggage and tag are on aconveyor belt and the sensors on the tag detect a certain type ofvibration from resting on the belt. The tag also detects continuousmovement, assuming the belt is generally moving at all times and at aconsistent speed. In the normal course of a journey, the tag willexperience different types of vibrations from conveyor belts, trams,carts, and carousels and different types of movement.

At step 406 the baggage, still on the conveyor belt, enters or isexposed to an x-ray machine. Here, one of the sensors on the tag maydetect a spike in electro-magnetic energy characteristic of beingexposed to x-rays. This spike in e-m energy may or may not be consistentwith the journey profile downloaded to the tag. For the purposes of theillustration in FIG. 4, it is assumed that it is. At step 408 the taghas exited the x-ray unit and the level of e-m energy returns to anormal or initial level. The tag continues detecting vibrations from theconveyor belt and continuous movement.

The baggage is now making its way to a holding area or loading dock. Atstep 410 the baggage is picked up off the conveyor belt and placed inthe holding area. As such, the tag senses an abrupt movement (picked upor dropped) and stops sensing the specific vibration from the belt. Thebaggage may also be still for a moment before it is picked up by abaggage handler and placed in the holding area. In this case, sensorsmay detect stillness followed by abrupt movement. In either case, thesestimuli indicate that the baggage has reached a holding area,essentially the area where baggage waits to be placed on a baggage cartand taken to a plane.

A baggage handler then places the baggage onto a cart that is driven tothe baggage loading tram of the plane. At step 412 the tag senses adifferent type of vibration from the baggage cart. The tag also sensesabrupt movements from being picked up and placed on the cart. In manycases the baggage may now be outside and may experience other stimuli,such as changes in temperature, light, and acceleration (from being onthe cart which is presumably moving faster than the conveyor belt).Experiencing these particular stimuli tells the tag that it is now mostprobably on its way to the plane and will be in proximity to the planeshortly.

The baggage is now close to the plane and the cart stops. At step 414,the tag senses an abrupt stop and then waits for the movement that isconsistent with movement that indicates that is going into the plane. Atthis stage, as shown in step 414, the tag takes a GPS reading to get itsposition data and communicates this data and the current time to the tagservice provider server. It also receives any updates to the itineraryfrom the server, essentially to see if there are any last minute changesto the flight. The server can also use the GPS data of the baggage todetermine whether the baggage is about to be loaded onto the rightplane. In one embodiment, the tag always turns off a few minutes beforethe plane is scheduled to depart. Another failsafe to ensure that thetag is not in normal operating mode while in flight includes the tagdetecting that there is movement that is consistent with continuousmovement of a plane getting ready to take off or simply moving ingeneral. If this is detected, the tag transitions to a deep sleep mode.

At step 416 the tag changes its mode to deep sleep mode or theequivalent. This step is further described in FIG. 5. Previously the tagwas in a normal operation mode in which it was able to perform cellularand GPS communications. However, it cannot be in this mode while beingconveyed on an airplane, so in line with its self-regulationcapabilities, the tag itself knows to enter deep sleep mode wherecellular and GPS functions are disabled. In one embodiment, the tag doesnot receive instructions or indicators from the server to disable ortransition to sleep mode.

At step 418, while the baggage is being conveyed on the plane, the tagkeeps track of how long it has been on the plane and/or how long theplane has been flying (the tag's clock is always operating when it ispowered on). Sensors on the tag detect certain stimuli during flight.These include internal airplane vibrations from being on that specifictype or model of plane. After a specific length of time has passed(i.e., the expected duration of the flight indicated in the itinerary asstored on the tag) and the tag detects vibrations consistent with beingon a tram (the same type used to load the baggage onto the plane), andvibration profiles consistent with physical handling, the tag thinks itis being unloaded from the plane. At step 420, the tag may transitionfrom sleep mode to normal operating mode. It may wait for a longer time,such as when it detects vibrations from being on a baggage cart (beingcarted away from the plane to a holding area), to transition to normaloperating mode.

At step 422, when the tag is capable of GPS reading and communicationwith the server, it does precisely that. A GPS reading is taken andtransmitted to the tag service provider server. The baggage is thenunloaded and held in a holding area or loading dock. The tag detects thesame or similar stimuli (abrupt movements, stillness, etc.) as it didwhen heading toward the plane. At step 424 the baggage is picked up andplaced on a conveyor belt from where it is automatically placed on abaggage carousel (going under the assumption that this is a one-legjourney). The tag detects vibrations from the conveyor belt, followed byanother type of vibration from the carousel. At step 426 the baggage ispicked up by the passenger and, as a result, the tag detects abruptmovement. At this point it may send a message to the server that itthinks it has reached the end of the journey and it takes a GPS reading.The tag may then compare that GPS reading with the GPS position data forthe expected baggage carousel (or, more generally, the baggage carouselarea) that it has stored in its memory (i.e., that it received at thebeginning of the journey). It may then power itself off or the passengermay power it off so that none of its sensors, indicators, communicationmeans, and so on, are operational.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing steps and factors taken intoconsideration by a tag so that it knows when to go into deep sleep modeor, more specifically, “government regulation-compliant” mode inaccordance with one embodiment. It is worth noting that in order for thetag to go to “sleep,” it does not have to receive any instructions fromthe server, from another computer or device, or a person. Theintelligence it needs to enter this mode is embedded on the tag. Thesteps shown in FIG. 5 may be performed in a different order than thatshown here and other factors, not shown in the flow chart, may also betaken into consideration. In other embodiments, some of the factorsshown may not be determined or considered, or may be given varyingweight or priority. As such, in one illustrative embodiment, at step 502the tag examines profiles, such as journey profiles and/or vibrationprofiles it has received from the server. As described above, it mayreceive these profiles at the start of the journey. The profiles tellthe tag where it should be in the journey based on the itinerary. Thatis, it tells the tag what type of stimuli it should be experiencing atany given time. The tag may also have received updated data, in mostcases this would be itinerary-related data (flight delays,cancellations, gate changes, etc.), but can be other types of data aswell.

At step 504 the tag calculates the time left to the currently scheduledplane departure (time to departure). It can do this using its internalclock and the plane departure time from the stored itinerary. In oneembodiment, the time to departure plays an important role in determiningwhen the tag goes into sleep mode. At step 506 the tag determines itslocation by taking a GPS reading. In one embodiment the GPS location ofthe plane or the gate for loading the plane is stored on the tag. Atstep 508 all or some of these factors are analyzed and the tagdetermines whether to go into sleep mode. For example, if the itineraryis up-to-date, the tag can calculate an accurate time-to-departure. Inone embodiment, if this time is below a certain threshold, for example,20 minutes or any appropriate length of time, AND the tag location isnear or at the departure gate AND it is experiencing or has recentlyexperienced vibrations from a baggage cart or tram, the tagself-regulates and may transition into sleep mode. Before it does this,it may transmit a GPS reading. In other embodiments, it may only takeinto consideration time and location. As noted, the number of factorsconsidered may be more or fewer than those shown here and the order inwhich they are determined or calculated may vary depending onimplementation.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a process taken by a tag of determining adiscrepancy in its journey in accordance with one embodiment. Asdescribed above, one of the self-regulating features of the tag is thatit is self-aware and has intelligence to determine when it is at alocation where it should not be according to the up-to-date itineraryand journey profiles stored in its memory. At step 602 the tag examinesits sensor data, such as vibrations, movement, electro-magnetic signals,and so on. As an implementation matter, this is being done at nearly alltimes when the tag is powered on. At step 604 the tag determines whatstage in its journey it expects or thinks it should be in. In oneembodiment, it does this by examining the itinerary. For example, if theitinerary states that at a certain time, the baggage should be at abaggage carousel, then the tag expects to be in the final stage of itsjourney. At step 606 the tag determines what stage in the journey it isactually in. It can do this by examining data captured at step 602 fromits sensors. A simple example is if the sensor data indicateselectro-magnetic signals, then the tag is in an x-ray machine and willlikely be loaded onto a plane within x amount of time. It may also takeGPS readings if possible and use that data, alone or combined with othersensor data, to determine its actual position.

At step 608 the actual position or stage that the tag is in (step 606)is compared to the expected position or stage of the tag (step 604). Thetag expects to be at a certain stage in the journey. This expectationmay be derived or be a function of how long before the plane departs. Ifit is not at a critical point (e.g., too far from the airport and only30 minutes before departure, or not moving towards the plane with only10 minutes left before departure) then the tag will communicate thisdiscrepancy to the server or the server may make a decision about thetag based on the data the tag has transmitted and generate adiscrepancy. Both the tag and the server can generate a GPS discrepancybased on a tag not being in the perimeter of a GPS waypoint. That is,when a tag comes within a certain number of feet of a known GPS point,the tag will trigger a message to the server that the tag is in thatvicinity. At step 610 the tag determines whether there is a discrepancybetween the actual stage/position and the expected stage/position. Inone embodiment, if the baggage is generally in the same stage of ajourney, then there is no discrepancy. If the two are the same, thenthere is no action to be taken except continuing to examine its sensordata at which point control returns to step 602.

If the stages are not the same, control goes to step 612 whereindicators, such as LEDs, audio signals, and the like, are engaged onthe tag. This is a visual indicator to anyone physically handling ormanaging the baggage that it has probably been misrouted. Thediscrepancy may also trigger transmission of alerts to various entities,such as notations or alerts on that passenger itinerary in an airlinebaggage management system, SMS, e-mails, or phone calls to thepassenger's mobile device, messages to airline personnel, such as to abaggage handler for the airline working in proximity to the misplacedbaggage, and so on. The objective with sending the alerts in real timeis to give airline personnel sufficient opportunity to address theproblem and get the baggage back on the correct path, thereby preventingthe passenger having to deal with a lost baggage situation at the end ofthe journey.

As described above, the tag of the present invention operates on aplatform having a server that gathers data from numerous sources both onand off the tag, processes that information in the server and using amicrocontroller in the tag, and controlling the tag based on conclusionsdrawn from data obtained both from local and network resources.

The tag can be used to track and manage any type of item, such as cargo,using the same or similar concepts described above.

In other embodiments, the tag may be attached to a baggage using adescribed method. The tag may be attached using a heavy duty rubberstrap that is permanently attached to the back of the tag and clicksinto a secure receptacle on the front of the strap, on the oppositecorner. The rubber strap is shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C. An angledfront view is shown in FIG. 8A, an angled back view is shown in FIG. 8B,and a full front view is shown in FIG. 8C. The purpose is to enable auser to quickly attach the tag to the bag, while providing a securemeans of attachment. It works on the same principle as some of theelectronic tags that are attached to clothing in retail stores, toprevent theft. However, it has been modified so that it does not lockand so that a user can remove it without any sort of electronic ormechanical device, in order to make it quick and convenient to remove.

In another embodiment, and as mentioned above, a kiosk can be used by apassenger to provide self-service baggage check-in instead of going to acheck-in counter. The intent is to provide an automated delivery systemfor the tags, but that has the flexibility to deliver conventional paperbag tags as well. Each kiosk may include: a scale for weighing thebaggage; a printer for printing conventional paper bag tags; and amechanical/electronic mechanism for delivering the tags. There may alsobe software that a. calculates the payment due, based upon weight; b.transmits the weight to the airline operational system for calculatingweight and balance loads for the aircraft; c. creates a record for thatbag and attaches it to the passenger record in the reservation system;d. sends the updated passenger record to the server, which then: i.Sends the passenger itinerary to the next available electronic baggagetag; ii. Updates the itinerary and the digital itinerary display on thetag; and iii. Delivers the tag to the passenger, who attaches it totheir baggage and puts the bag on a conveyor belt.

As noted above, the primary computing device in the invention is anelectronic tag and a server, but it may be another computing device suchas a smart phone, a tablet computer, a mobile device, a PC, and thelike. FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate a generic computing system 900,suitable for implementing specific embodiments of the present invention.Some of the devices that can be used in the present invention may haveother features or components that are not shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B andnot all the components shown in these figures (e.g., the keyboard) areneeded for implementing the present invention. As such, FIG. 9A showsone possible physical implementation of a computing system as this termis broadly defined.

In one embodiment, system 900 includes a display or screen 904. Thisdisplay may be in the same housing as system 900. It may also have akeyboard 910 that is shown on display 904 (i.e., a virtual keyboard) ormay be a physical component that is part of the device housing. It mayhave various ports such as HDMI or USB ports (not shown).Computer-readable media that may be coupled to device 900 may includeUSB memory devices and various types of memory chips, sticks, and cards.

FIG. 9B is an example of a block diagram for computing system 900.Attached to system bus 920 is a variety of subsystems. Processor(s) 922are coupled to storage devices including memory 924. Memory 924 mayinclude random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). As iswell known in the art, ROM acts to transfer data and instructionsuni-directionally to the CPU and RAM are used typically to transfer dataand instructions in a bi-directional manner. Both of these types ofmemories may include any suitable of the computer-readable mediadescribed below. A fixed disk 926 is also coupled bi-directionally toprocessor 922; it provides additional data storage capacity and may alsoinclude any of the computer-readable media described below. Fixed disk926 may be used to store programs, data and the like and is typically asecondary storage medium that is slower than primary storage. It will beappreciated that the information retained within fixed disk 926, may, inappropriate cases, be incorporated in standard fashion as virtual memoryin memory 924.

Processor 922 is also coupled to a variety of input/output devices suchas display 904 and network interface 940. In general, an input/outputdevice may be any of: video displays, keyboards, microphones,touch-sensitive displays, tablets, styluses, voice or handwritingrecognizers, biometrics readers, or other devices. Processor 922optionally may be coupled to another computer or telecommunicationsnetwork using network interface 940. With such a network interface, itis contemplated that the CPU might receive information from the network,or might output information to the network in the course of performingthe above-described method steps. Furthermore, method embodiments of thepresent invention may execute solely upon processor 922 or may executeover a network such as the Internet in conjunction with a remoteprocessor that shares a portion of the processing.

In addition, embodiments of the present invention further relate tocomputer storage products with a computer-readable medium that havecomputer code thereon for performing various computer-implementedoperations. The media and computer code may be those specially designedand constructed for the purposes of the present invention, or they maybe of the kind well known and available to those having skill in thecomputer software arts. Examples of computer-readable media include, butare not limited to: magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, andmagnetic tape; optical media such as CD-ROMs and holographic devices;magneto-optical media such as floptical disks; and hardware devices thatare specially configured to store and execute program code, such asapplication-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logicdevices (PLDs) and ROM and RAM devices. Examples of computer codeinclude machine code, such as produced by a compiler, and filescontaining higher-level code that are executed by a computer using aninterpreter.

Although illustrative embodiments and applications of this invention areshown and described herein, many variations and modifications arepossible which remain within the concept, scope, and spirit of theinvention, and these variations would become clear to those of ordinaryskill in the art after perusal of this application. Accordingly, theembodiments described are illustrative and not restrictive, and theinvention is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may bemodified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

What we claim is:
 1. A method of operating an electronic baggage tag,the method comprising: receiving an initial itinerary while the tag isin a first mode; detecting stimuli using multiple sensors; transmittinglocation data to a server; entering a second mode when a first type ofsequence of stimuli is detected; exiting the second mode when a secondtype of sequence of stimuli is detected; returning to the first modefrom the second mode when vibrations are detected that match a specificvibration profile; and detecting vibrations consistent with being on aconveyor belt, or on a baggage cart, or on a baggage carousel; whereinthere is no reliance on the server during a journey except for receivingupdated itinerary data.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 furthercomprising: storing the initial itinerary in a memory on the tag, thetag having a serial number.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 1 furthercomprising: correlating the initial itinerary with a serial number whenthe tag is powered on.
 4. A method as claimed in claim 1 furthercomprising: associating the tag with a passenger record on a server. 5.A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: storing a passengerrecord on the server.
 6. A method as claimed in claim 1 furthercomprising: storing GPS locations of airports, gates, holding areas,carousels, check-in counters, and a starting point of the tag.
 7. Amethod as recited in claim 1 further comprising: determining GPSlocation of the tag before being loaded onto a plane; and transmittingthe GPS location to a server.
 8. A method as recited in claim 1publishing intelligence relating to what the tag should expect in theitinerary, wherein the tag becomes self-monitoring.
 9. A method asrecited in claim 1 wherein the second mode does not allow cellulartransmission or GPS activity.
 10. A method as recited in claim 1 whereinthe second mode enables specific stimuli detection.
 11. A method asrecited in claim 1 further comprising: transmitting a discrepancymessage when the tag determines that the tag is not at an expectedlocation.
 12. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:indicating a discrepancy on the tag when the tag determines that the tagis not at an expected location.
 13. A method as recited in claim 1further comprising: storing a plurality of vibration profiles on theserver.
 14. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising: detectinga spike in electro-magnetic energy by the tag, wherein theelectro-magnetic energy is consistent with x-ray exposure.